English Translation

y 7 The emergence of the Sudetenland was inevitably encouraged. The language regulations of the Prime Minister Freiherr von Gautsch, who had replaced the overthrown Count Badeni, recognized in principle that there were purely German districts in which the internal Czech official languages should not have a plate, but devalued this concession by a classification in which purely German counties were recognized in a ridiculously small number. How much the Germans were in the right with their respect, the speech of Prince Alois Liechtenstein of 28 April 1898 in the Austrian House of Deputies shows the best speech made during the years of parliamentary struggles which followed the Baden language regulations: here it was statistically proven that of 21⁄2/. Millions of Germans live in Bohemia the largest part compactly and unmixed side by side. "The catchphrase in the national disputes of the closed language areas is not just a buzzword, but it is a fact of geography and statistics. In 37 German court districts, V. % lives Czechs, in 40 courts oe e and in 65 court districts 3% Czechs. 75 court districts with a population of 1,600,000 Germans have among themselves no more than 1900o Czechs." Unfortunately, contrary to the judicature of the sub-courts in German Bohemia, the Supreme Court stubbornly held that German and Czech had to be regarded as common languages in g a n z Bohemia in contradiction with the practice practiced in the other Kronen countries. Further to the German point of view in the recognition of a closed and accordingly to be treated German language area came a in the "Prague Abendblatt' of the 9th century. The German Pentecostal programme of the German opposition parties in the House of Deputies, which was published on 20 March 1899, was designed primarily to create a purely German and a purely Czech administrative area and to reduce the mixed area between the two by arronding. In May 1899, of course, there was a need for clear demarcation and special treatment of the closed German territory in Bohemia. According to him, only one language should be considered as an external official language in all areas declared to be monolingual; only officials of German nationality should be used in cases where purely German official languages are held or created by abgren- tion. The great Koerberian design of 1900, which wanted to introduce a division of districts in Bohemia, provided for 3 German (Eger, Leitmerits, Reichenberg), 5 Czech (Chrudim, Gischin, Königgräts. Prague, Tabor) and 2 mixed-language circles (Budweis and Pilsen).